Episode date: April 1, 2018
Transcript published: April 17, 2018

Fr. Stephen Freeman offers some insight on dealing with the dark thoughts that often fill our minds.

In my previous podcast, I described the origins of the “self-talk” (the logismoi: that’s what the tradition calls them) that haunts our minds with negative chatter. These things lie very deep within us, even having something of a signature within the deeper parts of the brain itself. It is very “old” and yet it is very “young.” It is old in that the foundations of these voices and these things we keep hearing in our…

Episode date: January 27, 2018
Transcript published: January 30, 2018

Father Stephen Freeman argues that the near-unchanging shape of the Liturgy is part of the "givenness" of our lives. Like many other things in the Orthodox faith, it imparts a stability. Learning to embrace this is important.

In my Anglican years, I watched the introduction of a new prayer book. I went through trial periods of different books, eventually settling on one in the mid ‘70s. Among its most notable features was variety. In a certain manner, it brought under one roof that one most obvious feature of modern Christianity: There were options. Our culture has an understanding that ideas, thoughts and sentiments are what matters; how they are embodied is considered to be largely…

Episode date: May 31, 2017
Transcript published: December 5, 2017

With this podcast, Fr. Stephen begins a series in which he looks at the reality of shame and its place in our emotional and spiritual lives. He introduces us to the teaching of the Elder Sophrony that we must learn to "bear a little shame."

Beginning with this podcast and a number following it, I want to touch on the topic of shame. I’m not going to try to do a systematic treatment, but I’m going to be discussing it from a variety of angles. I wanted to begin, though, by giving something of a small definition of shame. This is something of a clinical definition, drawn from the works of psychologists, but it’s also very much in line with the tradition of the faith.

Episode date: May 5, 2015
Transcript published: November 20, 2017

Fr. Stephen looks at the role of the passions in the formation of the modern soul. There is a better way to live.

There is a name for the Orthodox way of life. It is hesychia. In Greek, the word means “silence.” It could also be rendered “stillness,” or “quiet.” Far more than simply refraining from speech, it is the quiet of the heart, the stillness of the mind at rest in God, dwelling in peace. It is in this place that we primarily encounter God. Now, God certainly makes himself known even in stormy circumstances, but when the soul…

Fr. Stephen offers thoughts on the daily consequences of the "Word made flesh" and suggests ways that we might live Christmas every day of our lives.

I’ll have to ask for forgiveness at the outset of this podcast, mostly because of its speculative nature. Generally I prefer not to engage in too much speculation, at least not in the context of this podcast or when I’m writing for others to read. The incarnation of Christ, which we celebrate in the feast of Christ’s nativity, the feast of the Word become flesh, is a most significant point in our salvation. But we all too easily look at the story…

Episode date: August 4, 2017
Transcript published: August 13, 2017

Fr. Stephen continues his thoughts on the topic of shame—looking at its place in Christ's death on the Cross.

Some decades ago in my early Anglican priesthood, a parishioner brought a crucifix back from South America. The question for me as a priest was whether I would accept the crucifix as a gift and place it in the church. Now, personally, I like crucifixes. I did then, and I still do. And my tide was always toward the Catholic direction, but you have to bear in mind that Spanish, Latin-style crucifixes have a tendency to be, well, rather gory. My congregation was pretty…

Episode date: December 3, 2015
Transcript published: December 8, 2015

In this podcast, Fr. Stephen contrasts the “literal” reading of Scripture with the practice of the Orthodox Church, in which we seek to discern the “mystery hidden from all the ages.”

The trouble with reading Scripture is that almost everybody thinks they can do it. This idea is rooted in the assumptions of Protestant thought: only if the meaning of Scripture is fairly obvious and more or less objective can it serve as a source of unmediated authority for the believer. If any particular skill or mastery is required, then the skillful masters will be the mediators of meaning for all the rest. The concept of any intervening authority is anathema…

Episode date: June 19, 2015
Transcript published: August 19, 2015

Is the me in my head, the voice that rattles on, the same thing as my soul? What is my identity in Christ?

When we discuss our psychological state, what exactly are we talking about? Better yet, who are we talking about? What’s the identity of the guy in my head? Generally such questions are not asked but they can become important in certain dissociative disorders. If I for instance have two guys in my head, there is clearly an issue. But is what I identify as my self, that is, the sum of my life experiences, memories, decisions, opinions, feelings, habits,…

Episode date: June 5, 2015
Transcript published: July 14, 2015

Does God have feelings? Can we influence how he feels? Fr. Stephen looks carefully at the theology of grace and the idea of the psychology of God.

We are human beings. We think; we feel—though I like to think that my dog thinks and feels. The semi-imaginary conversations we have as we take our long, daily walks are fairly entertaining for me, even though I have to supply his side of the dialogue.

But God is not a dog. But we supply his dialog as well and we impute to him thoughts and feelings like our own. For instance, we think God is angry. God is pleased. God is gentle. God is stern.…

Episode date: May 2, 2015
Transcript published: May 8, 2015

St. Paul describes the mystery of the faith as: Christ within us, the hope of glory. Fr. Stephen looks at the meaning of God in us and the life of grace.

Popular New Age thought postulates that everyone has a god within. It’s a pleasant way of saying that we’re all special while making “god” to be rather banal. But there is a clear teaching of classical Christianity regarding Christ within us, and it is essential to our Orthodox way of life. We should not understand our relationship with God to be an external matter, as if we were one individual and God another. Our union with God,…